1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to buildings, to removable modules for a building attic, and, in one particular aspect, to a removable attic, heating, air handling, and/or cooling and/or water handling and/or heating module.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the prior art to locate heating and/or cooling apparatus in the attic of a building. In many cases such apparatus is installed prior to the installation of a roof and/or gable ends of a building. Often in such cases, the heating and/or cooling appartus (for air and/or water) is too large to be removed from a finished, roofed structure since access to the attic is limited to a relatively small door, doors, opening, or openings. Thus, access to the heating and/or cooling apparatus is possible only within the attic. Also, it is often the case that defective apparatus is disconnected and removed to another location in the attic where it is abandoned, rather than being removed from the attic for remanufacture, repair, or sale of scrap.
Relatively small access doors to attics can also present a problem for the use of the attic space as storage. The size of things to be stored can be severely limited to the largest dimension of an access door.
With modular or prefabricated buildings, speed and accuracy of assembly are preferred. Attic modules should be precisely placed for interconnection with other items and structures in the building. Such modules as heating and/or cooling modules should be accessible for repair and removable for replacement.
There has long been a need for a building with easily accessible attic contents. There has long been a need for a building with an attic from which items can be easily removed. There has long been need for a modular or prefabricated building with an easily installable attic module. There has long been a need for a building, prefabricated or otherwise, with easy access to air/water heating/cooling apparatus in an attic.
The present invention, in certain aspects, provides a building with a floor and/or foundation, walls, and an attic beneath a roof or covering, the attic having apparatus one which one or more attic modules are movable both to different locations within the attic itself and into and out of an opening in the attic. In one aspect this apparatus is a series of boards or a platform. In another aspect this apparatus is one or more rails. In particular aspects the modules includes: air cooling apparatus which may or may not be interconnected with and/or in fluid communication with associated items exterior to the attic; air handling apparatus, e.g. fan(s), blower(s), conduits, etc.; air heating apparatus similarly interconnected; water handling apparatus, e.g. pump(s), pipe(s), etc.; water heating apparatus similarly interconnected; intems to be stored; some combination of these; and/or all of these. When a rail or rails are used in the attic, a cooresponding rail follower (or followers) may be used on the bottom of an attic module.
By using an attic module system according to the present invention, it is not necessary for a person to enter an attic to emplace things therein and/or to remove things thereform. Often, moving around in an attic can be dangerous for a person.
What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, other objects and purposes will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention""s teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide:
New, useful, unique, efficient buildings with one or more easily accessible attic modules;
Such a building in which an attic module is movable on one or more boards or rails to a desired location in the attic;
Such a building in which the attic module is easily removable from and/or insertable into the attic through an appropriate opening in a roof, wall, or gable end;
Such a building in which such a module provides additional protected storage in an attic;
Such a building in which the module includes: air heating apparatus; air cooling apparatus; and/or water heating apparatus; and
Such a building which is a modular or prefabricated building.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures and functions. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structure, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the previously-mentioned problems and long-felt needs and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one skilled in this art who has the benefits of this invention""s realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent""s object to claim this invention no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions of further improvements.